After eight years together, Florida's A Day to Remember looks poised to break out of the hardcore scene and into the mainstream. The group's single, All I Want, which combines elements of pop-punk and metalcore, currently holds Top 20 positions on USA TODAY's alternative and active rock radio charts. When fourth album What Separates Me From You came out in November, it earned nearly triple the debut-week sales of its predecessor, 2009's Homesick, and has sold 152,000 copies so far.

While his classmates were going to parties and playing sports, Jordan Witzigreuter was in his room writing music and playing drums in local bands in Fort Wayne, Ind. "I was pretty quiet in high school. I never liked going to parties. I was immersed in music," the 21-year-old says. "I used to skateboard, but I stopped because I was afraid I'd fall, break my wrist and not be able to play music. After I graduated from high school, I booked all my own tours. I did everything independently."

Celebrity performers, advocates and citizens gathered Sunday for the Climate Rally with two goals: to celebrate Earth Day's 40th anniversary and to demand that Congress pass a climate and clean energy bill in 2010.